Three person race shapes up for Mattapoisett Selectman seat

Feb 19, 2020

Tyler Macallister at a Board of Selectmen meeting. Photo by: Kenneth Borges

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MATTAPOISETT – Three people are running for one available seat on the Board of Selectmen in Mattapoisett. Papers are now available for the May 19 election, and will be due on April 14.

Tyler Macallister will run again for the Selectman seat he left to apply for Town Administrator, after Selectmen made an offer to another candidate. Also running are John DeCosta and Kevin Ducharme.

DeCosta said his priorities would be affordable housing, improving Town Wharf, making town government more transparent.

He cited organization and town knowledge as key strengths. “I’ve been going to town meetings since I was 19-years-old, and I’m 57 now,” he said.

Several candidates plan to run again. Catherine Heuberger would like to continue as town clerk, and Daniel Chase as water and sewer commissioner. Nathan Ketchel will also run again for the planning board.

Ruth Joliffe said that she would like another term as a library trustee because she is “devoted to the library, and to their causes. We will be looking for a new director and I would like to stay on to give some continuity when that person comes,” she said.

The other library trustee up for re-election, Jennifer Russell, also plans to run again. She said she has “learned a lot about the library and how the town works,” in her first term and enjoys the position.

DeCosta will not run again for his seat on the Community Preservation Committee.

Stefan Gabriel will not run for the Old Rochester Regional School Committee. He cited his desire to “step back to private life.”

Jodi Bauer has decided not to run for Community Preservation Committee. She explained the process “can be taxing, but it surely has been a pleasure working with the committee since 2009.” James Pierson will run for the position.

Other candidates who are up for re-election and have not indicated if they will run include Raymond Andrews as assessor, Charles Rider on the Mattapoisett School Committee, John Eklund as moderator and Carmelo Nicolosi on the board of health.